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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22944829">Mid-Range Greenish Gray</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/timelordangel/pseuds/cerealbaths'>cerealbaths (timelordangel)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rhett &amp; Link</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anal Sex, Bs2, Buddy System, Buddy System Season 2, Denial of Feelings, Face-Fucking, First Time Blow Jobs, Fluff and Humor, Friends With Benefits, M/M, fwb to lovers, helping hand rhett, inexperienced link</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:16:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22944829</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/timelordangel/pseuds/cerealbaths</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Link's never done this. He's never felt this way either. He just lives with the guy, after all.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>So it’s not the morgue, which he’s grateful for, or knows he should be on some level. But, wow the fan is close to his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link stares up at the ceiling on night 154 and watches the blur of wide blades inches from his face. It’s too fast, if he’s being honest with himself. Too scary. Too much. He hangs on to the comfort of predictability and tries to close his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you asleep at 9:05 </span>
  <em>
    <span>post </span>
  </em>
  <span>meridian when there is an episode of House Hunters Inter</span>
  <em>
    <span>national</span>
  </em>
  <span> that started at promptly 9:00? That’s more than one nation, Link. Multiple nations of houses.” Rhett appears in the doorway in that white silk robe, mouth already running as he dips his inflection on ‘national’ like Link’s supposed to know why the heck he should care more about that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve already got a house,” Link deadpans. “And it’s bedtime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not until after the show,” Rhett turns off the fan. Dammit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was watching that,” Link snips, turning on his side to face the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A head materializes easily on the other side of his bed. Link reluctantly rolls over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just want to sleep,” Link grumps. It still seems like too much work to be irritated with those gray-ish green eyes looking at him. The color needs to make up its mind. Gray or green, you don’t get to be both!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Rhett says, and this time his voice is soft. “I want you to come watch house hunters with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link huffs. He never expected to get his way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should visit España, Link,” Rhett declares once a commercial dives into a pitch for orange juice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shush!” Link waves a hand, leaning forward on his half of the sofa as his eyes zero in on a condensating crystal pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett should have known to not mess up the food commercials with pointless commentary. Every show is like the superbowl to Link- the commercials were the best part. He lets out a low laugh as the family in the commercial grins over toast. Toast is the best.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re too into this,” Rhett taps him on the shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re too into</span>
  <em>
    <span> everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Link says, but he smiles and turns his attention back to his friend as the commercial turns to one about Xanax he’s seen enough to mouth along with the actors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m into you-” Rhett begins, and Link’s ears hear that at the same time his gut does and, still coasting off the residual excitement from the Orange Juice commercial, his heart does something it’s never done before in the exhausting 41 years he’s been on this earth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It flutters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-and me going to Spain,” Rhett, perhaps sensing Link’s impending panic attack, continues the sentence and subsequently ends Link’s brief moment of absolutely terrifying, show-stopping, accident-in-these-slacks-worthy freakout. Except maybe it doesn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to go to bed,” Link says abruptly, gets up too quickly, takes a wild step to avoid the white carpet, and swiftly walks to the bedroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t feel the tight-lidded inquisitive eyes staring him down as he goes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You forgot your-” Rhett says, but Link’s already slammed the door and and pressed himself back on it to make sure it stays that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He should have stayed in bed. He should have stayed in bed. If he had stayed in bed he wouldn’t have watched strangers do incredibly scary things like buy houses in Spain. He wouldn’t have to think about potentially </span>
  <em>
    <span>going</span>
  </em>
  <span> to Spain. He shifted his entire nail clipping routine to go to bed before this stupid show started anyway. A shudder courses through him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Rhett, when Link was at his most vulnerable during a Florida’s Natural commercial, just had to go and say something that Link had never heard from another being in his entire - well, he’s already said it. Exhausting 41 years. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m into you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>And of course Vanessa had wanted him to date her, until Roberto came along anyway, and there were a few other people he’d tastefully ignored out of regard for his own safety and comfort, but none of them were Rhett, who was apparently his best friend at this point. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m in to you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He retches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link?” A voice sounds outside of their bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m- I’m ironing,” Link clenches his eyes and lies, poorly, and waits for the resounding click of the door opening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Rhett questions softly as he walks in and sits down on his bed, waiting for Link to join him. Link’s not great at social skills, but he knows that much is expected of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do they have a House Hunters specifically for Ohio?” Link murmurs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I don’t want to watch it anymore,” Link stares straight ahead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really don’t like surprises, huh?” Rhett has the audacity to laugh. “Listen. Spain is too hot to visit. Glen went a few summers ago.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good for him.” Link picks at the threads on the duvet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a documentary about whales on,” Rhett suggests.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link buries his head in his hands and all but whimpers, “Real whales or the idea of whales?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Real ones, but I think the Idea of Whales is also recorded. The one with the Keith Richards voiceover?” Rhett shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I tried to watch it last week and you’d taped over it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I did. But come on, you’d have recorded a Ferret wrestling simulation, too,” Rhett exhales, clapping Link on the shoulder. “I’ll just order a copy for us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rhett! Can you just leave me alone?” Link stands with purpose and starts to climb up to his bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett sighs with the weight of giving up and stands, the bed creaking as his weight departs. “Fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And Rhett?” Link says once he’s under the covers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Rhett replies, hopeful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you turn on the fan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett, on an unrelated note two weeks later, comes out to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m coming out to you,” Rhett says in a way that is just the right brand of bluntly honest and unsettlingly straightforward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming </span>
  <em>
    <span>out </span>
  </em>
  <span>to me? I’m inside,” Link says facetiously, mostly because he’s not really paying attention. His toast has three minutes left in the toaster oven until it achieves the perfect ratio of crunchy vs. soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m into men,” Rhett hesitates for the first time in his life. “I’m gay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link stares into the glass and watches his bread turning golden brown. “I know. You brought home Carson two weeks ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Was that his name?” Rhett squints. “And what? You saw him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I woke up before you thought I did,” Link scowls at the memory of lying wide awake as the bed shook beneath him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Rhett frowns. “Well, I’m glad you’re not bothered by it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not,” Link shrugs. “He seemed nice enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So are you… straight?” Rhett braves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link falters at this, deep in thought, when he startles at the ding of the toaster oven. He unplugs it and starts removing the toast, thinking long and hard about men, just as a concept. “I don’t know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know? Well, you didn’t seem that into Veronica.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Vanessa,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Link corrects. “No, I suppose I wasn’t.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett follows Link to the dining table and sits down adjacent. “Any other women?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think so,” Link shrugs, eating a perfect half-moon in a slice of bread, unbothered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’d know. When your body wants someone you get a sharp tingle throughout your body. It’s intense and it’s completely explained by science, but-” Rhett’s words turn to a dull murmur in Link’s ears as he pauses mid-chew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night, weeks ago, when Rhett had asked him to watch House Hunters, he’d said something that had made Link’s heart do some somersaults. What had he said? I want you, I need you, I- I’m into you? That- that had made him tingle, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link? Link, are you listening?” Rhett taps the table beside his plate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve felt that before, the tingle,” Link says without thinking. “But I don’t know about what should come next. It just seems like a lot of effort.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever even, ya know, done the one-handed shake weight? Five finger shuffle? A little ménage á moi?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, that’s gross. Besides, I wouldn’t know where to start,” Link suddenly wants out of this conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh buddy, are you in for a treat,” Rhett laughs, eyebrows high on his face as he settles back in his chair. He looks at Link in a way so intense it makes Link squirm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing to do to me?” Link asks with a downturned mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, you seem just fine waiting years until just the right person comes along, huh? Wait until you have your cracker sandwich of a woman and get back to me at how good and wet she is for you,” Rhett’s voice is teasing, but the crudeness makes Link lose his appetite immediately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop it, that’s so nasty, man,” Link stands with a toast still on his plate, cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay fine, a nice unsalted popcorn man with a long, unsalted cock-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rhett!” Link barks, irritation and embarrassment cascading through his veins. “You’re being a jerk.” He snaps his jaw shut and turns for the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not,” Rhett’s voice changes as he follows Link back into the kitchen. “I just want to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link finds himself cornered in the L of the counters, the back of his belt pressed flush to the wood. There’s no way around the massive man a foot in front of him. “Well unless you’re going to provide an instructional manual in at least an </span>
  <em>
    <span>eleven</span>
  </em>
  <span> point serif font, I don’t want it!” Link’s dramatic punctuation is cut short when he gasps hard as Rhett’s hand lands on the crotch of his second tightest pair of jeans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this Arial enough for you?” Rhett’s voice pitches down as he presses in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not-” Link chokes in a breath and looks up as he clenches onto the countertop with both hands. “Not a serif font.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay?” Rhett murmurs, sliding even closer as he palms Link through his jeans, encouraging the smaller man to relax into the touch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Link whines, eyes now red behind his glasses. His mouth is open and he takes a shaky breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want me to stop?” Rhett asks, removing his hand the slightest bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link blinks wetly but shakes his head, closing his eyes and letting his hips move fractionally. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to go to our bedroom, Link?” Rhett’s voice is lower than Link has ever heard it now, it sounds private, powerful. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> has never resonated like it does now. It was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>Rhett’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> for so long.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Link says honestly. He registers his initial response as fear and doesn’t feel like his body is reacting in any way other than blinding discomfort. But the excitement is there too, he thinks after a beat, just below the surface. "I just don't want to take off my glasses. I don't like doing that, then I can't see anything."</span>
</p><p>"You can keep them on, I promise," Rhett assures.</p><p>
  <span>Link considers that, and then nods slowly. Rhett leads him by the hand down the path he’s walked a hundred times, socked feet collecting dust from the hard wood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link lies down in Rhett’s bed for the first time ever. It’s far more plush than his own; the sheets a finer silk. They feel abstract on the backs of his arms as he spreads himself out like a starfish. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to touch you, Link. Say stop at any point and I’ll stop,” Rhett instructs, and for a second it sounds like he’s making one of his many, many instructional YouTube videos. It helps Link relax into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett places the flats of his hands on either side of Link’s waist. Link holds his breath as Rhett shimmies his hands under Link’s light blue polo shirt and starts to navigate the soft area of his stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This reminds me of the doctor’s office,” Link muses, closing his eyes and imagining Rhett is a physician looking him over. Apprehension starts to gather in his stomach. He hates the doctor. But he doesn’t hate this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett coughs. “Don’t- don’t speak.” He must get the memo to amp up the sexy, though, because suddenly his large, warm hands are making their way to up Link’s chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett starts to toy at Link’s nipples and Link’s eyes jolt open. Until this moment, Link thought they were just for show, if he’s being honest. Link squirms back into the bed and exhales a little breathily, not by choice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh,” Link half-giggles. “Ohhooow- ow!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Rhett huffs, backing off the gentle twisting. Link figures Rhett has to remind himself to not get carried away here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link knows about kissing. He wonders if Rhett will kiss him now, during this training session. Is that what this is? A training session? Link supposes it must be. He gets a little excited at the idea of Rhett's lips on his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good?” Rhett asks as his hands move to Link’s thighs</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link is about to shrug when Rhett’s fingers dig in the smallest amount and the current of pleasure shoots right up to his groin. His mouth drops open and he bucks into it, immediately forcing his ass back down to the mattress in an embarrassed motion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I will take that as good,” Rhett smirks, pleased with himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not bad,” Link swallows. He’s been hard before, but it never started like this. Never did it seem like anything other than an inconvenience to wait out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your body likes it, Link,” Rhett’s voice is low as he grinds his palm on Link’s bulge with one hand and squeezes his thigh with the other. He lets out a low appreciative whistle. “Been needing some attention and you didn’t even know it, huh?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link needs space. Specifically, space in his pants. He reaches down to undo them as quickly as he can with his eyes clenched shut. When the fly opens, finally, he retracts his hands. “Was uncomfortable,” He justifies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want me to take those off?” Rhett motions toward the jeans. “I think it might help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nods and Rhett gets to work, easing Link’s ass off the bed as he tugs them down and off. It’s only then that Link notices Rhett has a similar issue in his pants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you- you know?” Link frowns. That doesn’t make sense, Link hasn’t done anything to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I’m a male attracted person doing sensual activities with another hot male, you should be more concerned if I wasn’t, okay? But don’t pay attention to me, this is about you,” Rhett shakes it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m hot?” Link squints. He’d never thought of himself as hot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course,” Rhett sits back on his haunches. “I mean, look at you. Soft skin, impeccable posture. Lean form with approximately ten point three percent body fat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think it’s more than that,” Link smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett smiles back sweetly. “It’s not, I took your measurements in your sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that why I woke up to you rolling me over at five a.m. that one time?” Link asks, his eyebrows high above his glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we get back to the task at hand?” Rhett deflects smoothly, returning his hands to Link’s waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. I imagine there’s some conclusion you’re searching for under my boxer briefs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bright,” Rhett quips before dipping down and grazing his teeth over Link’s now-bare thigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah!” Link gasps and jolts away, only for Rhett to drag him back by his hips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett continues nipping and licking, moving steadily closer to the hem of Link’s underwear. Link squirms fiercely and his hands fly over his face as he flushes a deep crimson. The beard hairs feel weird against his skin but not bad, no, far from it. The feeling gathers in his groin and he whimpers with it, hard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now there’s a new noise,” Rhett stops his conquest to look up at his roommate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s mouth opens but he falters and his head falls back onto the pillow. He tries to catch his breath in the moments of calm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like to go a bit further up, Link. Is that okay?” Rhett toys with the waistband of Link’s underwear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link freezes. Too much. If House Hunters International was too much, this is too much. If he had finished his toast, maybe, he would be ready for more, but as of now this is too much. His cock pulses in his underwear and it feels like it might as well be detached from Link, except it definitely isn’t. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-” Link begins anxiously, except then he’s cut off by a warm mouth over said pulsing cock. And good </span>
  <em>
    <span>gosh</span>
  </em>
  <span> that gives Link a whole lot more to reconsider. Something deep and unmistakably primal within him tells him to </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Rhett!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett hums low in his throat, a happy sound as Link ruts up against his mouth, as if he can somehow transcend the barrier of cotton and get his dick up inside. Link’s insatiable for ten seconds before Rhett has to pull back to breathe and Link snaps out of his voracion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a second, they just breathe. Link’s wide-eyed as he lies back and pretends like he can melt into the silk sheets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too much?” Link echoes his own thoughts from minutes before aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett shakes his head and reaches forward to cup Link’s cheek as if unable to help himself. “No. Are you ready to come, really come?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sharp, intense feeling from the other night floods back without warning. It’s attraction like Rhett said, perhaps, but it’s something more, too. Link reminds himself he’s made it to this point in his life without dying yet, but if it happens here in bed with Rhett, it won’t be the worst way to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nods slowly and Rhett tugs down his boxers just enough to take Link out and run his lengthy fingers over him a few times. Link’s throbbing now, hips tense with the desire to move again. This time, he’ll control himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett keeps eye contact as he leans down and takes Link whole, his taste-perfect tongue flattening against Link’s cock as he goes. It’s the warmest, wettest thing Link’s ever had the pleasure of being inside and his hands fly to Rhett’s long hair, twisting into it as if he might come off any second. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m,” Link pants as Rhett starts to encourage Link to thrust. He bobs his head up and down twice, and then taps Link’s hipbones to get him to continue the motion. As Rhett braces himself on either side, Link gives in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fucking is something new all together. He knew babies were made by penises coming into vaginas, some variant amount of thrusting and fucking to achieve that in between. He never had an interest, the same way a man who has never smoked a cigarette does not understand the drive of addiction. But now, Rhett’s his two packs a day, and Link’s hooked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fucking upward is awkward, so Rhett moves and Link doesn’t quite understand why until the tall man is on his knees beside the bed. Link gets to his knees on the bed, matching mouth to cock perfectly. Link grips Rhett’s shoulders and wastes no timing fucking into the warm, soft confines of Rhett’s mouth until he feels an intense pressure building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He clamps his eyes shut once again as his balls tense up and he starts to come, a blinding sort of heaven, into Rhett. The mouth around him hums and sucks, milking every last drop from him for the first time in his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link was wrong before. This, this was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> too much. This was everything, and somehow not enough. He blinks blankly ahead as Rhett removes himself and stands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Good?” Rhett seems too composed, his shirt only slightly wrinkled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link looks down at his exposed self and tugs his boxers back up before collecting his jeans. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, good,” Link finally answers as he buttons his jeans, standing near the door. He doesn’t want to look up and see Rhett staring at him still, with green- gray- dammit- eyes that are a little bit pleased and a little bit worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well, I have to go get the sidecar inspected, it’s that time of year again. I’d say you could come but I have to leave it at the shop for a couple days,” Rhett shrugs, blowing past link to exit the room. “If you want me to bring home food for dinner, shoot me a text.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link doesn’t answer. He wanders into the kitchen long after the door has slammed shut and finds his plate with a single piece of toast still on the counter. He picks it up expecting comfort from the sharp familiarity, but it’s stale, and for the first time he can remember thinking so, bland.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link dumps it into the garbage. He feels like every muscle in his body is loose except for his brain. His brain has a lot to think about now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t even get a kiss.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s warm outside a few days after, unsurprising for LA, and Link loves the familiar temperature as he sits alone on the front deck with a pad and pencil. He’s not a shy man, not really, not in the way he’s a little bit oblivious to the way other humans behave, but he’s alone because he doesn’t want to see his roommate right now, not even a little bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And </span>
  <em>
    <span>who</span>
  </em>
  <span> are you?!” A voice startles Link out of his reverie. An older man slams the door of his dusty gray Volkswagen and starts making his way to the front door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link!” Link says abruptly, eyes wide behind his thick frames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Ignatius, the owner of this property, and as the owner of said property, I’m going to have to ask you to vacate the premises as this is trespassing on account of property code four-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The heavy door swings open behind Link and Rhett pops his head out with a towel around his head. His skin shimmers with water droplets and his lips are swollen into a deeper pink from steam. Link swallows hard and looks back to Ignatius.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ignatius, this is just my boyfriend, okay? He was bored while I was in the shower.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The landlord quirks an eyebrow and shifts his gaze between Rhett and Link. “Not a roommate, correct?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, just a boyfriend. I’m allowed to have overnight guests occasionally!” Rhett reminds him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, well, nice to meet you, Rhett’s boyfriend Link. You sound a lot like a beanbag I met one time…”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to go dry off and Link, uh, baby, we need to go to the store and get cherry tomatoes, so if you could go ahead and tell me what you came here to tell me that would be great,” Rhett says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s heart stumbles gracelessly over the nickname Rhett tossed him and he almost bites down on his lip. All he wanted was to spend time alone on the porch and here he is, suffering.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, sure,” Ignatius says, “I just came to say that there’s going to be a thunderstorm tonight so you should take all your patio furniture and close the shutters. Rare to see storms this bad out here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll- I mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll</span>
  </em>
  <span> do that. Thanks for the heads up!” Rhett all but ushers Ignatius off his lawn before motioning for Link to follow him inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s a moment of silence after they’re back inside where one of them has to say something. Link’s stomach hurts the more he stares at his damp friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not your boyfriend,” Link says with a frown, crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had to say that to get Ignatius off our back,” Rhett huffs back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And that was a stupid lie, I hate tomatoes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even the cherry ones?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hate cherries too,” Link insists. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett almost laughs. Almost. “Why are you being so moody?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like not following the rules, and I don’t like cherry tomatoes, and I definitely don’t like how long your showers are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jesus,” Rhett runs a hand through his long, wet hair. “What do you like?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Link hesitates, “I didn’t mind being called baby.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett smiles and takes a calculated step forward before saying, “Not my boyfriend, just my baby?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just baby, I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything. Maybe your student, if you call what we did the other day teaching,” Link corrects.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah, you just consider that purely educational? I liked what we did the other day. I mean sure, I was showing you how to let go, but you didn’t need to come down my throat if I was just your instructor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link straightens up a little and walks to sit on the sofa for the first time in a few days. He settles into the cushions and watches Rhett make his way over to the adjacent chair. He’s too big for it, settling down with his too-long legs. In just the robe, Link can see a long strip of inner thigh that's affecting him in some way. He shifts and crosses one leg over another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been avoiding me for days, out with it,” Rhett says firmly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You, uh, let me do, uh, everything the other day-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Suck your penis? Yes, go on?” Rhett interjects, prompting a shudder from Link.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then you haven’t mentioned it at all. I feel stupid that I’m even thinking about it,” Link explains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Rhett says. “I’ve been thinking about it. I thought I’d wait until you said something before I asked you about a part two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link perks up. “A part two?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re interested. I have more things I think I’d- that you’d like to experience.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if I’m ready,” Link lies. He fidgets in his seat and moves to stare out the window. “But thank you for offering.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett gets up slowly like he’s remembered what he should poke at and what he should let go. “Well, when you’re ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he leaves, but it feels more like a window has opened and the air has come in to rid the place of stagnant animosity. Link feels a little lighter, feels the pressure in the air shift with the oncoming storm and stares out the window for a long while, just tapping his foot idly against the sofa. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link takes in the smaller outdoor furniture at the first visible streak of lightning in the late evening sky. He drags the wicker inside as he counts in his head one, two, three, four- a loud crack of thunder echoes through the static air. Four miles away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett wordlessly glides past him out the front door and gathers the plants, bracing them against his broad chest as he escorts them to the kitchen counter. Before they’re done, the storm is three miles away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you like thunderstorms?” Link asks once they toe off their shoes and lock the front door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t sleep well, but I suppose they’re alright,” Rhett shrugs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first pats of rain begin to fall just as The Kings of Bellevue Estates starts getting exciting. Link mindlessly grabs another handful of popcorn, narrowly missing Rhett’s hand in the bowl. Something akin to what he felt the other night jolts through him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s some time later when the show is over that they find themselves watching a dark indigo paint dry on tv. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s drying more blue than purple,” Link remarks, leaning onto his hand. The rain outside now is pounding, but the soundtrack to the show is unimportant. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The screen flickers, the satellite losing signal as a box bounces onto the screen saying “trying to connect”.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The dang satellite always gets messed up during storms. I can kind of reach it from the upstairs window, I’ll go try and jostle it,” Rhett groans as he stands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Link jumps to his feet. “Absolutely not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why not?” Rhett frowns. “I want to watch TV.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s dangerous to go up there, I don’t want you to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, then I’ll just go to bed,” Rhett huffs, hands clenching by his sides. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, go to bed. I’m going to watch something taped-” Right as the words leave Link’s mouth, a loud burst of thunder precedes complete darkness. “Never mind.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stand in the dark, Link blinking to adjust to see anything at all, for just a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad I wasn’t on the roof,” Rhett says softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link can finally focus on Rhett’s form across from him. He nods slowly, hoping Rhett can see him too. “I guess we can’t do much in the dark.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are some things…” Rhett trails off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link ignores the heaviness in his chest at that comment and turns back to tidy up the living area, almost running into the coffee table. He can feel Rhett’s eyes on him, heavy like the pouring rain outside. By the time he’s finished, Rhett’s disappeared. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link gets uneasy being alone, passing quietly through the house with socked feet, his only company the raging storm. He’s not tired, it’s only ten o’clock. He doesn’t know how Rhett’s already asleep, already finished with his night chocolate. He hears a particularly nasty howl of wind and decides he doesn’t want to be alone anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He brushes his teeth in the dark and spends some quality time with the bidet in a reluctant hesitation to turn in for the night. When he’s satisfied with the level of hygiene, he heads for the bedroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tries to flip on the light by habit, only failing to complete an active circuit. He forgets to flip it back to off and stumbles toward the bed, knocking into it as he starts to take off his jeans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Link?” Rhett’s voice sounds from the bottom bunk. So he's not asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link pauses. This is where his heart starts to beat a little faster, because his chest has been counting down toward this moment in a way he didn’t want to acknowledge. “Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You scared of the storm?” Rhett’s voice is deep, almost a growl, unlike anything Link’s heard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not particularly,” Link says back, cautious. He lets his hesitation at the foot of the bed allow space for Rhett to stand and make his way over to Link in the darkness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link holds his breath and Rhett gets close enough that Link can feel his breath ghosting his forehead. Rhett moves his broad hands to Link’s waist and holds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Breathe,” Rhett reminds him as he starts to rub circles with his thumbs in the space between Link’s t-shirt and pajama bottoms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m trying,” Link exhales, the blood in his body rushing to his cheeks and crotch, in that order.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come ‘ere,” Rhett guides him toward the bottom bunk again. Lightning illuminates the small space and for a second Link can see how wild Rhett’s hair looks flowing in amber waves, can see the purposeful curve of his beard and the chap of his lips beyond a peek of milk white teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They lay together. Link waits for the resulting thunder and when it comes he shuffles forward hard and pushes a hand to Rhett’s chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready, Neal?” Rhett leans forward and nips at Link’s shoulder, starts to mess with the hem of Link’s shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> ready,” Link says, breathily, prompting a chuckle from Rhett.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s as good as I’m gonna get from you, huh?” Rhett teases, laughing again when Link shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett tugs Link’s shirt off and guides his hand back to Link’s crotch. “You’re hard, Link.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you?” Link asks softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you see for yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link swallows hard as he moves his hips against Rhett’s hand and simultaneously reaches for Rhett’s - well, his area. The last time he’d heard someone openly discuss private parts was in health class in sixth grade. The best “sex ed” he’d received was to never touch another person’s privates- definitely not another man’s.  That’s where he learned about the way babies are made. He and Rhett can’t make babies. For the first time in his life he is going to know all of these things and keep going against them- just because he wants to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he can overthink it, Link’s dragging a shaky hand along Rhett’s impressive bulge. It elicits a throaty huff from Rhett that Link feels mildly pleased about. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did I do well?” Link whispers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett nods and grabs Link’s hips and drags their bodies together, leaning in to press kisses to Link’s exposed neck. “I wanna get inside of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You what!” Link startles, pushing Rhett away with some difficulty. He bites his tongue and immediately regrets not having that beardy mouth on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, too much?” Rhett looks bashful even in the low light. It’s a new look, and a good one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Explain,” Link says firmly. “Inside?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know men have anal sex with each other, right?” Rhett’s voice is strained now, but not with impatience, only arousal. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Well, I guess- but it sounds painful,” Link moves his hand and shifts back closer to Rhett. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got lube, ya know. Best money can buy. Get some fingers in there to get you used to the feeling,” Rhett’s breathy, moving back to pause and suck a bruise into Link’s collar bone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn't sound unappealing. The bidet<em> did</em> leave him squeaky clean. Maybe if Rhett really wants it this badly, Link should give in. This is a learning experience, after all. Link reaches to start tugging down his jeans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you want?” Rhett comes up for air long enough to ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I want you to, you know, get inside me,” Link shrugs, continuing the businesses of getting naked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure? Slow down a little, man,” Rhett traces his eyes over Link’s now nude body and licks his lips. “This is the real deal. I’m gonna deflower you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Deflower? I don’t have a flower,” Link adjusts his glasses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your virginity. I’m going to take it,” Rhett confirms. “You don’t want to hold off until you find Ms. Right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link frowns, feeling cold and self conscious suddenly. “I don’t want to be a 40 year old virgin. I like what we’re doing, I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it since we first laid together. If you want to make love to me, Rhett, I’m ready for it. But you have to tell me what to do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett blinks, processing, before he shrugs out of his own shirt and starts working at his jeans. “Can you get the pink bottle out of the nightstand?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link nods and scrambles to open the drawer and take out a small bottle of premium lube. He flips it open to take a whiff and is surprised to find it smells like nothing at all. Rhett’s worked up more than before, fisting his cock as he waits for Link to hand him the lube.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rhett, there’s something else I want,” Link says bravely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah? Tell me?” Rhett moves to grab the bottle and Link dodges his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want a kiss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A kiss?” Rhett pauses, removing his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A kiss,” Link shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett laughs. “I think we should save that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link wants to protest, but he’s not confrontational. He likes the idea of saving it for when they’re in the middle of the everyday, in the middle of something comfortable and plain, or maybe for the perfect moment. In the movies people kiss outside, on front porches. Or when there's something beautiful, like a waterfall, or a rainbow. He'd like to kiss in front of something beautiful. He forks over the bottle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Onto your hands and knees, Link,” Rhett commands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link follows instructions and gets ass-up, cock hanging hard and heavy between his thighs. He’s not ready for the cold of the lube mixed with Rhett’s anxious finger pressing into him. Link jolts away from it but Rhett’s firm hand wraps around his thigh and holds him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It feels funny,” Link whimpers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang in there,” Rhett rubs encouragement into the meat of Link’s thigh, bumping into Link’s length. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep going,” Link hisses as Rhett does two fingers with more lube to make the stretch almost painless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett cocks his fingers and goes deep, almost bottoms out in pursuit of something. Link wonders what, until Rhett grazes it. Something, something’s inside of him that feels like everything all at once. Link exhales the rest of his breath in one intense whine, bucking his hips back to chase the feeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Found your G spot, Linkster,” Rhett laughs. He pulls out his fingers and Link looks back over his shoulder with hurt in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you stop?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s time for the real deal,” Rhett huffs, already dripping from where Link can feel him against the back of his thigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link braces his forehead against his clasped hands holding him steady. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to mount you like this, like there’s some way I can mate you, even though we’re both boys,” Rhett growls, lining himself up with his hands gently on Link’s hips. “Like you’re my good mate, taking me without complaints.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might complain a little,” Link huffs, already feeling the stretch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett’s used enough lube to where it doesn’t really hurt, not after he pushes in and Link’s g-spot is held down like a button. He moans when Rhett starts moving, shaking both of them and the bed with every thrust. It’s a lot more to take than when he was fucking into Rhett’s mouth, when the entire experience was localized to his cock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The headboard hits the wall and Link thinks about how the landlord will see the dents. How the landlord thinks he’s Rhett’s boyfriend, who Rhett watches TV with and makes restless love to in the middle of the night. Link’s cock pulses against his stomach at the thought of being made love to, wordlessly and passionately, as it happens real-time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby,” Rhett huffs, thrusting in and holding as he reaches around to tug at Link’s neglected cock. “You liking this?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he<em> is</em>. Link likes the attention, being called </span>
  <em>
    <span>baby</span>
  </em>
  <span>, likes the way Rhett drags against the nerves inside of him and makes twinkly stars appear behind his eyelids. He likes the way his hips ache from Rhett manhandling them. He likes the idea of Glen somehow hearing them and knowing that nobody else's car is in the driveway. Likes the idea that he’s having rough sex with a handsome man mounting him-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He comes like that, with Rhett’s hand rubbing him and Rhett’s cock buried inside of him, all the visions of Rhett naked and wet with arousal dancing in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s my boy, ride it out,” Rhett encourages him, uncaring that Link’s spurting on the nice silk sheets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s in a daze as his bones turn into jello and Rhett leans over and bites at Link’s neck and takes the rest of what he needs, thrusting quickly into him and murmuring “Can I come inside?” before forgetting to wait for an answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link feels the rush of heat and doesn’t mind in the slightest, his thighs already sticky with sweat and his neck littered with hickies. He waits for Rhett to finish and then enjoys the full body collapse of sinking into the mattress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights flicker on and Link groans at the brightness as Rhett hisses and throws an arm over his head. They turn to look at each other and Link has never seen Rhett this disheveled, with swollen cheeks and dim eyes. Rhett smiles, crooked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link smiles back, running his knuckles absently over his mustache. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They shower together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s nice in the fluorescent bathroom light, with the rain shower Rhett made Link pay 60% for somehow. Link braces himself against the white tile as Rhett sinks to his knees and runs a firm tongue along his ass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is rimming,” Link says like he’s taking notes. “What’s it taste like?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett stands when he’s convinced Link’s ass is free of his semen. He shrugs. “Should have kissed me after you came in my mouth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link’s heart hurts with how much he wants a kiss. He's sure Rhett can see the question in his eyes. “Now’s not special enough, is it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rhett shakes his head. “As much as it’s special to see you with your glasses off, no. Not when my tongue was just in your ass.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Link can’t argue with that as he washes the conditioner out of his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The storm ends at eight am, and by nine am Link’s having coffee on the porch watching the sky clear when he sees it. His face lights up as he sees the double rainbow materialize in front of him, just over the hills in the distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He runs back inside, leaving his mug on the counter a safe distance from the edge, an easter egg in the sea of porch plants sheltering from the storm,  and finds Rhett waiting at the coffee machine. Link grabs his arm and starts tugging him toward the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, my routine!” Rhett protests, but follows Link to the front porch in his robe with his hair tied back neatly into a man bun once again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look at this rainbow,” Link grins, eyes twinkling behind his frames.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” Rhett’s actually taken aback for a moment, lips parted ever-so-slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It takes him another second to realize Link isn’t even staring at the rainbow- he’s staring at him. It feels all but natural when Rhett turns to meet their eyes that Link gets up on his tiptoes and tugs Rhett’s mouth against his, for all the world to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And maybe their whole world is just this rented house, with a small front yard. Maybe Rhett will always just be his roommate; albeit his funny, handsome, intelligent roommate. Maybe this will just be Link’s happy bubble for a little while. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t mind. He got his kiss. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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